THE NSW Swifts have continued their remarkable climb up the Super Netball ladder, defeating the Adelaide Thunderbirds 54-40.
Although it was even at times, the Swifts streaked ahead in the second half to secure another victory.
The first term was a low-scoring one, but one of swinging momentums.
It was the Swifts who got the early jump on the Thunderbirds, before the Thunderbirds regained momentum and the lead for themselves.
Things started to fall apart for the Swifts in their shooting circle and they looked like they were going to be in real trouble midway through the quarter, but they rallied late and took a two-goal lead into the first break.
It did not take long for the Thunderbirds to bridge the gap and level things up in the second quarter, doing so in the opening few minutes.
The rest of the quarter was relatively even though, as both sides went toe-to-toe among the flying bodies on court.
As the third quarter progressed, the NSW Swifts continued to get more and more on top and the scoreboard started to show.
It was not an obvious dominance like many other sides, but they just kept the scoreboard ticking over and the lead just grew and grew. A final very late super shot from Sophie Fawns was a nice icing on the cake and as the teams turned for home, the margin sat at eight goals in favour of the home side.
The final term started very evenly, with both sides trading blows and the match feeling very level.
However, as the power five drew closer the margin had stretched out to 10 goals and the Thunderbirds were in a bit of a pickle that could only be solved by shooting a lot of super shots.
Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, things only went from bad to worse in the power five as the margin stretched out even further and the Swifts ultimately won by 14.
The Thunderbirds were their own worst enemy towards the end of the term as they missed shot after shot and just could not bridge the gap.
Although her shooting was off early, Helen Housby really recovered and was a crucial component of her team’s win.
Paige Hadley and Maddy Proud were once again workhorses through the midcourt and very impressive. Proud finished with a ridiculous 46 feeds.
Sarah Klau was also impressive in defence, finishing with seven intercepts and seven deflections.
Meanwhile for the Thunderbirds, Tippah Dwan was certainly not afraid to attempt the super shots, but unfortunately for her they were not very accurate.
Next round sees NSW in Queensland to face the Lightning, while the Thunderbirds host the Firebirds.
NSW SWIFTS 9 | 14 | 18 | 13 (54)
ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS 7 | 16 | 10 | 7 (40)
STARTING SEVENS
NSW Swifts:
GS: Helen Housby
GA: Kelly Singleton
WA: Paige Hadley
C: Maddy Proud
WD: Tayla Fraser
GD: Maddy Turner
GK: Sarah Klau
Adelaide Thunderbirds:
GS: Lenize Potgeiter
GA: Tippah Dwan
WA: Georgie Horjus
C: Elle McDonald
WD: Hannah Petty
GD: Latanya Wilson
GK: Shamera Sterling
Silver Ferns finish the Nations Cup with pride
NEW Zealand have come away with a bronze medal at the Nations Cup after a five-goal win over Uganda overnight, 62-57. From the first goal, Amorangi Malesala (11 goals and 10 goal assists) looked cool, calm and collected in only her second test for the Silver Ferns. She was carving up the attack end with […]
England folds under pressure as Australia continues dominance
THE Australian Diamonds brought the England Roses back down to earth with a dominant 20-goal victory in the Nations Cup final overnight, 69-49. Australia’s pure grit and determination to get over the line prevailed, looking like a well oiled machine from the get-go. Once the Diamonds got a sniff at a lead, they never let […]
Nail biter nabs England a chance at glory
ENGLAND is through to the 2024 Nations Cup final after a narrow 58-57 win over New Zealand this morning. It was tight and hard fought for most of the match, with the winner not determined until the final seconds. A crucial turnover from Razia Quashie helped England to get out to a quick start, and […]
Diamonds dazzle despite determined opposition
AUSTRALIA has made it three from three at the Nations Cup after a solid 63-49 win over Uganda this morning. In a historic first meeting between the sides, Uganda was competitive and took it up to the Diamonds for much of the match, but it was ultimately a one-sided third quarter that was the difference. […]
New Zealand create some breathing room in win over Uganda
THANKS to a dominant second half performance, New Zealand’s Silver Ferns came away with a five goal win (65-60) over Uganda’s She Cranes who are within striking distance as one of the best teams in the world. There was no splitting these two nations right from the first whistle, reflecting in the 15-15 quarter time […]
Diamonds persevere and counteract a strong Roses outfit
A HIGH pressured game proved to be as good as expected as both Australia and England pulled out all the stops to push each other to the limit. The Australian Diamonds came out victorious by two goals to defeat the England Roses 59-61. England’s smothering defence was felt early, forcing the Australians to pass backwards […]
England make Rosey start to Nations Cup campaign
ENGLAND has made a positive start to its Nations Cup campaign, defeating Uganda 62 goals to 56 in its opening match. In a match tighter than the final score might suggested, it was a hard fought contest but England ultimately pulled away to take the win. England was the one to jump out to a […]
Dominant Diamonds dazzle in first up win
AUSTRALIA has kicked off its Nations Cup campaign in a emphatic fashion, recording a 63 goal to 50 win over New Zealand in its opening match. The win came off the back of a particularly strong performance from the Diamonds’ defence, which saw them run away with the match late. The defensive pressure from both […]
Uganda take home the series after close encounter
THE pressure was on at the first whistle with the series tied at 1 – 1. It was Uganda who ultimately persevered and took the win by 11-goals (48 – 59) after a fairly equal outing against Wales. Uganda was forced backwards straight from the first centre pass, resulting in Wales getting a quick turnover, […]
